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Phragmites Management for Improving Bear River Delta and Associated Wetlands
Region: Northern
ID: 6089
Project Status: Completed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
The expanding stands of Phragmites australis (non-native) are reducing nesting/foraging habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds as well as choking out biological diversity within the native plant community. The thick monoculture stands do not promote the appropriate plant and invertebrate communities required by waterbirds to meet critical life cycle events. Over the last 10 years, the refuge has been applying a treatment train of methods with some success but the area to be treated is too large to be effective. The refuge is limited by personnel and marsh equipment to control this invasive plant without additional support.
Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.
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Objectives
Phragmites stands have rapidly invaded and expanded across the refuge wetlands after the 1980's saltwater flooding event that killed numerous freshwater plant species and left open, disturbed ground. The overarching objective of Phragmites control at the refuge is not to completely eradicate the species, as this would require intense resources and expense. Rather, the objective is to reduce the extent of monotypic stands that have invaded Refuge wetland habitats. Therefore, common reed will be considered a management problem if the stand(s) occupy >20 % of the total wet acres in a unit. In the future, this threshold may be changed based on the rate of success after several years of treatment strategies.
Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
The threats and risks are loss of wetland habitat and loss of public use, particularly for recreational activities such as hunting. As has been witnessed at neighboring UT WMA's, quality wetland habitat within the Great Salt Lake ecosystem cannot be restored without direct management strategies. Human intervention is necessary to boost native plant communities and over time will promote the appropriate plant and invertebrate communities that are required by waterbirds to meet critical life cycle events. Recreational activities such as hunting and bird watching will improve as the tall, dense stands of phragmites are reduced.
LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.
TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.
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Relation to Management Plans
This project is in direct support of the refuge's Invasive Species Management Plan. The objectives are 1) Reduce amount of area occupied by Phragmites to < 20% of total area in each wetland management unit by 2031. 2) Reduce amount of area occupied by Phragmites along water delivery canals and wetland dikes to < 10% of linear area by 2031. This is also in direct support of the refuge's Habitat Management Plan (HMP) and refuge's resources of concern, such as white-faced ibis, cinnamon teal, tundra swan as well as migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. Goal #1 in the HMP is to "restore and manage Bear River deltaic wetland habitats and river corridor units...to provide migration and breeding habitat for a diversity of waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds".
List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.
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Fire/Fuels
Phragmites form dense monotypic stands that can be 12-14 ft tall. These stands hold very high levels of dead (litter) and living biomass that can produce extremely hot, fast moving, and tall flame lengths if ignition occurs. With many of these wetland areas surrounded by urban and rural structures, the threat of fire and the potential for neighboring structure damage is high. Reducing the cover of Phragmites through this project will greatly reduce the threat and risks of fire damage within the refuge and adjacent properties.
If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.
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Water Quality/Quantity
Due to the plant's high biomass, Phragmites evapotranspiration is higher than most native plant species. Reducing the percentage of Phragmites within management units will help improve water quantity to the GSL. Phragmites also accretes soil and litter at much higher rates than most native plants. Rapid soil accretion, high amounts of litter, and very high density of stems, alters water distributions reducing downstream flow and, in some cases, resulting in loss of wetland habitat further downstream. Slower flows also will result in increased evaporation.
Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.
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Compliance
The refuge follows the NEPA process and documentation according to State and National Discharge of Pesticide Permitting process.
Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.
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Methods
The refuge considers this a multiyear plan and will require a long-term commitment to be effective and successful. However, staff and other resources are limited and hence the request for additional support. Phragmites as with any noxious weed control effort will take multiple years to achieve an acceptable level of containment goals. The vast acreage of Phragmites at the 76,000-acre refuge requires an organized plan to effectively treat each year's designated acreage, then additional two years of follow up treatment. Thus, each treated management unit will require at least a three-year commitment; initial and two follow up treatments. Treatment with the herbicide glyphosate (Rodeo) will be applied aerially and the refuge would like to supplement this with additional ground treatment by track equipment capable of moving through the marshes. Current refuge control strategies include cattle grazing young and mid-year growth, herbicide application of 2% Glyphosate in the fall period, (August-October), and prescribed burning in the fall or late winter. An aquatic surfactant (2 quarts/100 gallons) is mixed with herbicide. Fall treatment has been found to be most effective, as this is the period when the plant has stopped active stem growth and is instead translocating nutrients to the rhizomes. The upper half of the plant is targeted for spraying to cover the largest surface area. Herbicide application is followed up by a prescribed burn, when feasible. Aerial herbicide treatment is used as an initial treatment when feasible, but are limited by expense and time. It can take a pilot 3-4 days to treat 1900 acres. To cover more acres, the refuge would like to supplement their Phragmites management with additional ground treatment by lightweight track vehicles that are semi amphibious. Grazing is considered a treatment strategy as cattle are placed within infested units during prime growing season to reduce plant growth, reduce seed head formation and trample the rhizomes. Most of the Great Salt Lake land managers have successfully used this treatment, especially where it is difficult to conduct prescribed burning (vicinity to highways and high population areas).
Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.
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Monitoring
The refuge has permitted and will continue to work with USU in studying treatment effectiveness and returning native plant communities. Research from USU has identified strategies that prove treatment efficiency and effectiveness (for both large and small patches), strategies to improve native seed germination, and strategies to help improve Phragmites grazing program. We are also planning to attempt bulrush planting from stock within the GSL watershed. Monitoring will include germination rates, abiotic factors that affect seed germination and seedling survival, and look at what type of litter removal works best (mowing, trampling, or complete removal of litter). The refuge will compile data on vegetation transects and photo-points of some treated areas for at least three years. The refuge also monitors bird populations on all of the WMA's during monthly or twice a month bird counts.
Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.
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Partners
Current partners include Utah State University (USU), DWR, Box Elder County, Forestry Fire and State Lands (FFSL), private duck clubs, Delta Waterfowl, and Wasatch Wigeons. Although not all these partners contribute direct funds for this project, these agencies and groups are contributing to the treatment and reduction of Phragmites on their respective properties. Also, many of these partners contribute volunteer hours during treatment implementation. Multi-agency and adjacent/upstream treatments are imperative due to Phragmites wind and water dispersal. All agencies support this proposed project. Collaboration with these partners pertaining to treatment effectiveness, treatment locations, and strategies has been very beneficial.
List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.
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Future Management
This is a multi-year project that will only be successful with continued efforts. The refuge would like to apply the same management strategies DWR has applied since 2006 as their efforts have seen successful containment of Phragmites in their management units. After a few years of intense management, refuge activities would shift to a more routine weed maintenance effort within the refuge units. Collaboration with researchers will continue to stay current with Phragmites management and strategies that will improve ecosystem function. During the efforts in the UT WMAs, there has been an effort to educate other agencies, local cities, organizations and private landowners on how to treat Phragmites and the need to do so within the entire drainage area of the Great Salt Lake. The refuge plans to continue these efforts and partnerships in order to enhance and preserve the wetland ecosystem around the GSL.
Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
The refuge has several Habitat Management Plan projects over the next 5 years that should help to control Phragmites by restoring natural hydrology (sheet flow) and avoid impounding water within these units. This should reduce the need in the future to use expensive treatments, such as herbicide application. The refuge also plans to use cattle to help control and contain dense stands of Phragmites. Grazing is utilized in areas that become drought stressed in the fall and are unsuitable for chemical application, as well as in areas that reduce seed head formation. Some cattle are also being used in areas that have gone through the 3-year chemical treatment cycle (such as via aerial or roadside application) to control the remaining stands of Phragmites.
Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.
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